Tragedy and pain
by Dorious Victious
Summary: Zeliah her life is in shambles. Everything she fought for for years, gone. Will she stand strong? Or will she falter and turn to the Dark Side.
1. Chapter 1

The Empire is in ruin. The Republic is crushed. And a small band of warriors seek to heal it, to make it a better place once more. But Zakuul is not the only problem in this universe. Betrayal, corruption, infighting. These things keep the galaxy from healing. A group of Sith and Jedi knights have formed a union to strip the galaxy of dangers one by one. One of those warriors was Zeliah, she was highly respected on her force mending abilities. They healed wounds like magic but she always kept silent on who taught her that and how she managed to make it seem so easy. One of those terrors in the Galaxy where a group of Dark Siders calling themselves the Exhumed. They had performed multiple mass murders on Dromund Kaas and Coruscant. It is unknown who saved them from their prison on Belsavis but their objective was clear. ''WE WILL FORM A PERFECT SOCIETY! ONE BASED ON PURITY! AND THEY… THOSE THAT WE KILLED! Did not fit in our perfect world…'' Was written in blood on the walls of every target they struck. The unions current leader was a former Jedi Master, he tracked the Exumed dark presence back to Hoth. Zeliah and the others sat down in their shuttle as it left hyperspace and landed in the middle of the night. Sixteen dark figures slowly walked out, their dark clothes making them look like demons crawling out off the depts of hell. Eight blue and green sabers versus eight red sabers. Led by one purple saber. The grandmaster was already on the ground and looked out on the frozen wasteland.  
''Do you see that glacier over there? It hides their temple…'' The Master stated.  
The group began to set foot and slowly approached the glacier, after half an hour of walking Zeliah would suddenly shiver and fall on her knees. Her hands clawing at the thick layers of snow: ''We… Should go back… NOW!'' She yelled out. A Sith Lord grabbed Zeliahs mouth and shushed her. Zeliah shook her head wildy and sniffled. The Union continued walking when Zeliah calmed down. Once they reached the other end of the glacier they found a cave entrance. A single meditating man covered in dark robes sat infront of the entrance. Darkness radiated from him, turning the snow black as ash. The Jedi and Sith activated their sabers and stood ready for combat. One Sith growled and leaped at the Stranger. The moment his saber would hit the meditating Stranger the Sith would be pushed back. The Jedi and Sith mumbled chaoticly as they looked up. Around twenty cultists stood on the ridges above them, they activated their pure white sabers and leaped down. Standing in a unknown combat style. They where all masked but their knowledge of the Dark Side was unmistakable. The Sith screamed their battlecries and jumped in. The Jedi running after them. Their sabers met and the Union started sweeping and slashing at the cultists. Soon the first Sith Lord would be stabbed by a saber but Zeliah didnt flinch. She reached out and shot out green fire. The fire hit the Sith and closed his wound within the second. The Sith jumped back on his feet and beheaded the Cultist that ''killed'' him. And so the fight continued. The Union killing off their attackers one by one.

Zeliah rubbed her temples and sighed: ''We shouldnt go in… We should leave..'' She said for the last time but the Union didnt take any notice of her warnings and walked into the cave without a second thought.

The cave was one huge empty hall way, its icey walls covered in writings that seemed to be mad cravings but if observed closely one could discover they where infact ancient teachings off a long dead generation of Sith. The hallway seemed endless and whispers filled the air, pleads for help and screams of pain. And then all of a sudden… Deadly silence. The Union felt as if something punched the air out of their loungs and they all fell to the ground. They struggled to get up and loud curses were yelled. They activated their sabers and ran through the dark corridor untill finally they met the end. A single Dark Orb levitated in the air at the end of the hallway. A large door blocking the entrance. Zeliah recognized the Orb. It was the same one Dorious always had in his temple. Why was it here?

The Union let out suprised screams as the Orb slowly grew into a person. The person had long black hair and had beautifull clean red skin. Her clothes where white as snow as the whispers suddenly screamed loudly. Zeliah felt her ears and shivered as she noticed they where bleeding. The whispers screamed out: ''WINTER! WINTER HAS COME! RHEEHA. BORN IN WINTER. WILL SWALLOW THE SUMMER! WINTER! WINTER HAS COME!''

The woman opened her eyes.

The Union growled in suprise. Their sabers pointed at the new woman. The woman didnt show a hint of any emotion. Or to being alive. She activated her saber and held it infront of her face. Her eyes were like an empty void. A maze one can get lost in. She giggled as she slowly walked up tot he Union. Her heavy boots clicking loudly in the large hallway. Carrying the sound of her boots in echo's as Rheeha came dangerously close. One Jedi couldnt handle the presure and yelled out. His saber making mad hacks at Rheeha but she only side stepped and with a single cut she had the Jedi's belly sliced open and his entrails on the floor. The smell was disgusting. Zeliah closed her eyes and tried to heal him but it was too late. He was dead. She stared the Jedi Master dead in the eye. Like a challange. The Sith grinned as they circled her. As one they suddenly striked at her. It was like one hive mind controlled them in this co-ordinated strike but it was all for naught. Winter leaped in the air and spun around. Her blade following her spin and cutting through the floor and ceiling as she came down behind the sith. They barelly succeeded in blocking the ragdolling attack but had to halt their attack to do so. The raised their hands and a barrage of Force Lightning shot out at her. Eight Sith Lords and Darths shooting lightning at Rheeha is nothing tot hink lightly off. But Rheeha didnt flinch. She absorbed the lightning with her saber and took a single step back as she managed to not get hit. She let out a loud growl of a wounded animal that was ready to fight for its life. She hacked her saber. Deflecting the lightning storm like a discharge. The result was catastrophic. Like a bomb that exploded. The Sith and some Jedi layed on the floor. Their skin burned from their bodies and their blood vaporised at the heat of the lightning. Rheeha had a single drop of sweat run down her cheek as she advanced on the Master, Zeliah and the remaining Jedi. The Master activated his saber and lunged at her. He was overtaken by desperation and had to fight off Rheeha. If he couldnt no one could. The Master slashed at Rheehas shoulder as he kicked her knee at the same time. He did a flip and crashed his fist in her belly when he did. His saber sweeping ever so elegantly at her at the same time. Rheeha was ragdolled across the hallway. Being thrown against the door. The Master took no time to look at inmediatly leaped at her. Ready to tear Rheeha apart. When the Master landed Rheeha had rolled out of the way and made a quick slash at the Masters arm when he landed his saber in the ground where Rheeha layed not even a second ago. The cut only barelly hit his flesh and didnt even hurt or damage him. She giggled as she stepped back. The Master dashed at her with his saber infront of her like a pyke. When he got in range Rheeha made another tiny cut at the Masters other arm. But at the cost of having the Master stab through her chest. She didnt flinch and grinned as she slithered off his saber. She fell on her knees and looked the Master in the eye. It was then that Zeliah realized why Rheeha made such tiny cuts in the Master. But it was too late. Zeliah managed to yell out: ''Master dont!'' just before he raised his arms to behead her. The wounds in his arms suddenly burned in him and his arms refused to strike down Rheeha. The cuts hurt way too much when he tensed his arms this way and in the sudden burst of pain he dropped his saber. Zeliah tried to force pull the saber out of the Masters way but she felt Rheehas presence. Pushing the saber into the Masters heart. The Master looked at Rheeha. And then at Zeliah. Before he fell down dead. Rheeha giggled: ''If he stabbed me, cut at me, kicked me, anything at all and he might have killed me~ but no… He had to flex his arms just like I expected…'' She giggled as she force pulled her saber and the Masters. She pointed them at the surviving Knight and Padawans. Completely ignoring Zeliah. She threw her sabers in a saber throw. The Knight force blasting them out of harms way. Just to notice the lightning comming his way. Catching him full on the face. Burning him to death. Zeliah looked at him but didnt heal him. She just couldnt. It was just too much. All her friends did within the hour. She lowered her head as she heard the screams of the padawans. Rheeha gave Zeliah a quick uninterested look before slowly turning into the Black Orb again.  
Zeliah sniffled as she walked up to the large gates. Only finding them to be unlocked. She walked through the door and suddenly felt Hoths freezing wind hit her in the face. She stood outside. Infront of her was a huge empty hole that went so deep she couldnt see the end. A plateau was the only thing that was kept Zeliah from falling. Zeliah walked on to find a throne and a desk. Filling with writings and tablets. Rheeha sat on the throne, giggling. Her voice was deep and dark. Sounding demonic: ''You come far… I wonder why.'' She then faded away. Zeliah looked at the desk, only to see all the papers with possible info and future plans to be gone. Flying down the large hole by the wind. And old rakattan warblade layed on the desk now next to a stone tablet: ''Darkness is the highest form of elegancy. It is much more than violence and mindless sadism.'' Zeliah shook as she read Dorious infamous teachings on the tablet. She wanted to leave this place but couldnt. It felt so… Right. Like home.

It was only then that Zeliah noticed the cravings on the floor. It was a map of sorts. A map of Kaas city. A cross was cut with a lightsaber at the place where the Sith Sanctum was located. Zeliahs mind raced across all her memory, she recalled one piece of paper that was pulled down the pit with the wind that said something about the Kaas city sewers. A clue.

Zeliah shook her head and hurried off. She ran outside the long hallway using the force to augment her speed. After seemingly forever she was finally outside. She cursed loudly as she realized the shuttle was on the other side of the glacier. She started to move slowly through all the snow and heavy wind. Finally arriving at the shuttle. She growled as she stepped inside. She observed the pilot during flying and rapidly started to take off. The shuttles engines heated up and it slowly took off. Zeliah pressed into the flight controll the coordinates to Dromund Kaas. She breathed out in relief as she hung back on her chair. She went into the back to grab a drink and when sitting back infront she almost fell out of her chair. A gigantic spaceship hovered about Hoth and lifted into hyperspace tob e gone without any indication it was there at all. She scratched her head and slowly fell asleep in the chair.

When she woke up she was already landed on Kaas city. Her private home that had a private landing bay. She hurried out to be greeted by her apprentices and staff.  
''Arrange me a meeting with the Guards! NOW!'' She yelled as she quickly stripped from clothes and stepped under the shower. Cleaning her up. She found herself shaking and tense as she looked in the mirror. She got back in her normal robes and got seated infront of her holo. A council of Sith stared at her with interest: ''You sought help Zeliah?'' One asked. ''Yes I.. I have discovered a threat… One below our Sith Sanctum..'' Zeliah revealed. The council of the Guards started all speaking and mumbling untill one shouted: ''SILENCE! We shall meet with the Heirs and create a task force to acompany you… Should you have wasted our time we shall punish you for it… Standard proceedure'' the holo was then closed. Zeliah sighed as she watched her apprentice approach: ''I shall come with you aswell. You need someone you can trust amongst those Sith'' He said. Zeliah nodded and looked back infront of her. That spaceship worried her.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks have passed and Zeliah and her strike force of Sith Lords and Apprentices took off in an shuttle. The group has practised their plan to perfection with the schemetics of the sewers below the Sanctum and was ready to land. Zeliah and her apprentice nervously looking around. Once the shuttle landed they all stormed outside and activated their sabers. They cut open the wall and slipped inside the sewers. The twenty sith expectantly looked at Zeliah as she searched through the maze of pipe lines. She tensed as she felt the exact same presence as on Hoth. She followed it like a dog following its nose and finally the group reached an opening. Another cave.

Zeliah glared inside the cave. Nothing. There was nothing at all. She motioned the the Sith and her apprentice as she headed inside. When she walked far enough she saw mad cravings on the wall. She brushed her finger tips over it and let out a soft squeal when she saw a picture of a hooded man carved in the wall. Its eyes where lit up by Force Flames. ''D-dorious… Victious…'' She stuttered when she looked at the carving: ''You where destroyed… Its not possible…''  
The Sith activated their sabers in union when the reached a big gate. A single hooded man stood infront of it. A heavy rebreather around his deadly pale face made a slow mechanic noise when he breathed. And that was the only sound that could be heared apart from the humming sounds of lightsabers. The man activated his saber and looked up. His eyes where bright red and pain and anger filled the room through the Force. Like a knife that cut through their hearts thay all gasped at once. The pain was inmense. The Sith growled and their leader stood up. He was an experienced general that had seen the worst of war. The worst of the Sith: ''I felt this once before… Malgus! How did you survive?!'' He shouted. He saw Malgus his butchery. His seemingly endless talet for warfare. Malgus was the pinacle of power for a Sith Warrior and facing him was something he did not feel like doing as of yet. The man growled and pointed his saber at the front line of Sith that where rapidly closing in. Their large coats flapping in the wind. Their battle cries where loud and empty of doubt but it was all for nought. With one sweep of a savage strike of the Man that was called Malgus would kill or push the sith back. It all happened within a blink of the eye. The General cried out. He had never seen Malgus this fast before and this certainly was not a good thing. He looked at Zeliah and motioned the the gate. Zeliah nodded and inmediatly understood the Generals plans. The Sith also nodded and started to from three groups. Like a pyramid they would advance on Malgus in their defensive lightsaber stances whilst Zeliah and her apprentice snuck closer to the gate. The large Man suddenly turned and with a Force Kick he would push Zeliahs apprentice through the gate. He layed on the floor like little heap of clothes, shivering in anguish and shock. The large Man that would be Malgus turned around again and focussed on the Sith that launched at him.

Zeliah ran at her apprentice and gasped. She raised her hands and her green mending flames surounded her apprentice. Slowly patching him up. She pulled him along the dark corridor, trying to ignore the carvings of the hooded man as much as she could. The Apprentice reached for his lightsaber when he felt his strenght returning. He started to walk normal again and together with Zeliah he hurried along to the main chamber, there were no cultists: ''Did we kill them all on the previous run?'' Zeliah hopingly thought out loud. But deep down she knew that was far from the truth. Once they reached the end of the tunnel they found a large door knob with the words: ''Those that seek to enter must cleanse themselves of the Inner beast within. To be rid of the inner savage''  
The Apprentice scratched his head: ''So… We must become Jedi? And like… Not fight and stuff?''  
Zeliah looked at the words and shook her head: ''Far from it… We must delve further into the Darkness than we ever have… And kill Malgus.'' The Apprentice nodded slowly. He understood now. Malgus represented the inner savage inside of every being. Only an intellect cleansed of the savage mindset could take down this opponent: ''So we just wait for the Guards to kill Malgus right?'' The apprentice asked. But the heavy metal clicks of footsteps awnsered before Zeliah could. A loud roar confirmed it. The man that would be Malgus stormed through the corridor and leaped at the Apprentice. The apprentice was pulled out of the way just in time by Zeliah when the large Man came down. The floor crumbled and shook when he came down. His inmense power would be easely sensed through the force. This man wasnt Malgus unless malgus really trained hard in the year he was last presumed dead. The Apprentice wasted no time and lashed out at Malgus. His saber stabbing right through Malgus dark black armor. He roared and groaned as his armored fist came down. Hitting the Apprentice in the face. Zeliah shrieked in awe when she could hear her apprentice's face breaking in the hit. He laughed when he pushed the Apprentice away: ''So eager to fall for my traps. Like a beast you take every bait.'' Zeliah shook her head and activated her Saber. She circled around Malgus and hit her saber against his. Meeting his strenght. He suddenly slammed his saber on the ground creating a massive shock wave. Zeliah leaped in the air just in time and looked at his exposed head. She jumped at Malgus his head but when she was in hitting range she realized Malgus had his free hand pointed at her. Blue lightning sparks flew through the air and hit her straight in the stomach: ''You never learn… You. Never. Learn.'' He launched at the burning Zeliah to stab right through her but she just growled and slashed at him. Her saber striking through his armor and stomach: ''Neither do you!'' She yelled when she stood up. She raised her hand as green water sparkled up from her hand and washed over her. Leaving herself in a healing aura. She against circled around Malgus and eyed him carefully. She looked at her close to dead Apprentice for a mere second but Malgus caught her glimp. Before Zeliah could even move towards her apprentice he slammed his knee inside her stomach and smashed his saber down to behead Zeliah in one swift strike. Her apprentice looked up and screamed with all his might: ''NOOOOOOO!''

Malgus his saber hit another saber. He stared in wonder at the three Sith crouching before him. Trying to push his saber away. In the middle he saw the general, covered in blood. He grinned as he met Malgus his gaze. Zeliah wasted not a single second and force pushed Malgus away. But it only resulted in Malgus growling in anger. He pushed forward and the three Sith cried in pain. He pushed the Siths sabers that blocked him inside their wielders: ''Suicide can never be forced… Or so people say…'' Malgus stood up and looked at Zeliah. His silence said everything there was to say. She couldnt win. Zeliah shook her head and walked towards Malgus. She trembled from head to toe as her entire friendly aura turned dark. Flames lit up from her shoulder blades like angel wings that burned everything in her path. Without a single word she leaped forward and stabbed infront of her. Her blade missing Malgus by a hair. Malgus took this opening to smash his heavy fist into Zeliahs face like he did to her apprentice but because of this Zeliah knew of the tactic and span around. Her flaming wings burned through Malgus. Once she landed on the floor she would look at Malgus. But he was gone like Rheeha was. She slowly turned back to her normal state and walked to her apprentice. Healing her for the second time.  
She walked to the gate and screamed in fear when the gates words changed: ''To kill a beast you must become a beast. Very clever. But not what I asked. To cleanse yourself of your savage ways was to enter. Not grow it'' The Apprentice shook his head and turned around, preparing to leave. ''Wait! You… you didnt fight this entire time. You… You should open the door.'' The Apprentice stared in wonder at Zeliah and didnt know if she hinted to him being a coward or as a savior but nodded anyways. He moved to the door and rested his hands on the door and suprisingly they opened inmediatly. There they found another bottomless pit with a single large platform. A large throne was at the end of it with Malgus on the throne: "You passed the Test. You exploited your apprentice to enter. Perhaps i was wrong about you after all." But this wasnt malgus voice. It was Dorious's. Malgus slowly turned into ash, leaving nothing but the next location of the temple. The final temple according to the papers.

"Did you exploit me..." The Apprentice asked.


End file.
